The Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program
Columbia, MO - Marin County, CA - Minneapolis, MN - Sheboygan County, WI
Preliminary Observations and Experiences

Personal Travel Planning

Print Version (PDF 201 K)
To view PDF files, you need the Acrobat® Reader®.

Graphic of Walk/Bike Map Cover: Neighbors on The Go

Photo of promotional items including bike maps and brochures in a small bag with handles.

Photo of an educational event promoting Columbia Neighbors on the Go program.

NTPP Pilot Communities:
Columbia - "Neighbors on the Go"
Marin County - "Way to Go"

Personal Travel Planning (PTP) is a method of providing customized information, incentives, and motivation directly to individuals, to encourage less habitual use of the car and more trips by foot, bike, bus, train or in shared cars.

Program highlights:

Guided walks and rides
Newsletters
Customized information packets (including brochures, maps, stickers, reflective pantleg straps, flat repair kits, water bottles, event calendars, bicycle bells)
Home delivery (by bicycle) of promotional materials

Initial outcomes:

Way to Go Sausalito held 24 events over 14 weeks in 2008, with 105 total event attendees
Neighbors On The Go held 67 activities over 12 weeks in 2008, with 301 total event attendees
The most popular events were guided bicycle rides or about walking and bicycling for fitness and commuting
Way to Go Sausalito program survey showed a 3% decrease in auto trips and 3.3% increase in walk/bike trips
Before and after surveys in Sausalito showed an increase in walking or bicycling for personal errands
Neighbors on the Go survey showed 87% of respondents considered switching some drive-alone trips to bicycling, carpooling, or walking, since participating in the program

Lessons learned:

Promotional campaign may be more effective after infrastructure is built
Start with trying to shift a few trips per week, rather than major lifestyle changes at the beginning

For more information, contact:
Ted Curtis, GetAbout Columbia http://www.getaboutcolumbia.com/neighbors
Dan Dawson, WalkBike Marin http://www.walkbikemarin.org/waytogo/

More information about Personal Travel Planning programs and evaluation:

Chicago Bicycle Ambassador Program http://www.bicyclingambassadors.org/about.html
Travel Smart Case Studies http://www.travelsmart.gov.au/universities/case-studies.html
Portland Smart Trips http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=43801
Personal Travel Plans, U.K. Department for Transport http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/travelplans/ptp/

Spring 2009 -- Prepared by the USDOT/Volpe Center for the Federal Highway Administration and NTPP Pilot Communities

Section 1807 of the Safe, Accountable Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users established the Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program (NTPP) in August 2005. Over the span of four years (2007-2010), the legislation authorizes $25 million for each of the NTPP's four pilot communities to construct and invest in nonmotorized transportation infrastructure and programs. The purpose of the NTPP is "to demonstrate the extent to which bicycling and walking can carry a significant part of the transportation load, and represent a major portion of the transportation solution, within selected communities."